2011 Mercedes-Benz SL350

In the care of the vendor for the past year, this wonderful Pearlescent White Mercedes-Benz SL350 has covered just 12,555 miles in the past nine years – and its condition is entirely commensurate with the mileage and a full main dealer service history.

First registered on the 26th of July 2011 and showing just three previous owners, it’s only for sale as the owner is in lockdown in Spain and so won’t be able to drive any of his classic car collection for the foreseeable future, which means now is as good a time as any to thin them out a little.

And, despite being a potential keeper had life not taken an unexpected turn, he has sufficient confidence in you lot to offer it with no reserve, so it’ll sell from the very first bid, no matter how derisory that might be.

So, if you fancy a bit of cheap summer fun in a well-regarded German convertible sportscar with a full MB history, why not pop in a cheeky bid and see what happens?

The Pearlescent White coachwork is in great shape and sparkles way above a standard white. As you can see, it all aligns nicely and a couple of historical HPI reports work in conjunction with the tight, consistent panels gaps and original dealer number plates to lead us to believe that this car probably doesn’t have a story to tell - and when it comes to buying a modern classic, the lack of a story is always a good thing…

There’s a decent shine and gloss to the paintwork too, and the folding roof opens and closes as it should, and still seals tightly. It’s an ingenious piece of engineering and one that works as well now as it did when the car was new.

As you can see from the photographs, the 19-inch AMG alloy wheels are also in great shape and were fitted with matching Bridgestone Potenza tyres in July 2017. The tyres still have a good tread depth too having only been fitted a few thousand miles ago.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Of course, there is the odd stonechip and minor mark here and there but, as you can see, what few flaws it has are minor and consistent with the SL’s age and mileage.

The black leather seats, which are complemented by white stitching, are in great shape and show only very light creasing.

It’s the same story with the rest of the interior; the door cards look great, as do the carpets and leather-trimmed dashboard. The boot is clean and neat too, and home to the warning triangle, spacesaver spare wheel, tool kit, and battery – and lifting the carpets shows only clean, solid, rust-free metal.

In fact, rather than waffle on about how good everything is in there, why not leaf through the extensive photo album and take a look at its condition for yourselves? Or why not come along for a socially distanced inspection of your own?

The attached Mercedes-Benz main dealer service history shows that the car was first serviced at 661 miles on the 5th of July 2012. It next saw the inside of the dealer’s workshop on the 1st of October 2013 at 1,555 miles, and then again on the 30th of September 2014 at 3,932 miles.

There are also documents showing services at 5,020 miles on the 25th of September 2015, 7,058 miles on the 12th of October 2016, 9,818 miles on the 2nd of October 2017, and 11,514 miles on the 4th of October 2018.

We’ve driven it and can confirm that it drives exactly as you would expect of a an R230 SL that has only covered a little over a thousand miles every year. Need we say more?

The SL’s MOT certificate expires in May 2021 and the online MOT history shows the miles being slowly accrued, which leads us to believe that the car’s recorded mileage is true. Interestingly, every single MOT has been gained without any advisories, which is a cracking record and one that goes to the heart of how good this example is.

The Mercedes also comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years. It also still has its original owner’s handbook as well as some miscellaneous paperwork including some old HPI certificates and sales invoices.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on.

With excellent bodywork, a barely used interior, and a great service history this is a convertible sportscar you can buy with your head and your heart. In need of nothing other than fuel and continued servicing, it should prove to be a reliable long-term partner that offers modern reliability and safety alongside great looks and decent fuel economy.

As for what we think it’s worth, the owner is very happy to offer it for no reserve, so it’ll sell from the very first bid – and where it will end is entirely in your hands, so why not set your budget and join in? The initial estimate is £14,000 to £22,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Also, localized paint repairs are common with collectable and classic cars and if they have been professionally carried out then they may be impossible to detect, even if we see the car in person. So, unless we state otherwise, please assume that any vehicle could have had remedial bodywork at some point in its life.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.